Reconciliation in Action — Wahkohtowin Law and Governance Lodge
The Law Society of Alberta is committed to respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action #27 in a thoughtful and collaborative way that builds and strengthens relationships with Indigenous Peoples and communities. As part of our commitment, we are featuring people and organizations who are working to advance the cause of reconciliation in the legal space.
About the Wahkohtowin Law and Governance Lodge
Wahkohtowin Law and Governance Lodge (WLGL) is a dedicated research-based unit of the Faculty of Law at the University of Alberta (U of A) in Edmonton, Alberta. The origins of the WLGL can be traced back to 2016, when the late Aseniwuche Winewak Nation Elder and Healer, Adelaide McDonald, asked Dr. Hadley Friedland to invite students from the U of A’s Faculty of Law to the community to learn.
The invitation evolved into the Wahkohtowin course – a unique land-based, intensive course co-taught by university instructors and a community teaching team. The course is open to U of A students from the Faculty of Law or otherwise, and recently has seen participation from WLGL’s community partners as well. With this course, participants are encouraged to explore the Cree concept of Wahkohtowin, which loosely translates to “our inter-relatedness and interdependence.” This concept has been the guiding view of Cree law, governance, philosophy, and spirituality for centuries. The course was first held in summer of 2017 and led to the eventual development of the Wahkohtowin Lodge.
The Lodge opened in April 2022 in the Decore Centre at the Faculty of Law on the U of A campus and provides a space where Indigenous students, staff, faculty, and community can feel at home.
WLGL hosts guest speakers, land-based courses, blanket exercises, and community methods workshops, all of which are open to any U of A students and the community broadly. For instance, the Wahkohtowin: Principles and Practice summer course gives law students at the U of A a rare opportunity to learn directly from Elders, knowledge holders, and the land itself. Students participate in hands-on activities to learn about the fundamental Cree concepts of ᐘᐦᑯᐦᑐᐏᐣ wahkohtowin (relationality and interdependence) and ᒥᔪ ᐑᒉᐦᑐᐏᐣ miyo-wîcêhtowin (good relations). Additionally, in 2023, the WLGL held the Revitalizing Indigenous Laws Workshop, which saw attendees from over 25 different Indigenous communities across Canada. The workshop explored the narrative analysis method as a way to engage with and revitalize Indigenous law.
WLGL aims to establish a trusted and reliable Indigenous law institute as a response to Call to Action #50 from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s final report, which calls for the creation of institutes for the “development, use and understanding of Indigenous laws.” Accordingly, WLGL’s objectives are to uphold Indigenous laws and governance by supporting Indigenous communities’ goals to identify, articulate, and implement their own laws; developing, gathering, amplifying, and transferring wise practices, promising methods and research tools; and producing useful and accessible public legal education resources. These resources can be found here.